THE GOOD WIFE , THE STORY OF AN indian HOUSE WIFE

“You stupid silly country girl , you are impossible ,just go get out of my sight,”Rishi screamed with his eyes red as blood will flow from it any second. Puja still standing her head bowed down, almost to her knees listening to her husband’s harsh words with all her patience .This type of situation is not at all new for her . Rishi’s attitude towards her has been the same from the day of her marriage . He would scold her and even slap her at little or altogether no fault of hers . “you are still standing here? Going to slap me , come , come on just do it and I will show you.”Puja ran towards the kitchen crying. Rishi left for office . Puja cried the whole day . “ What was my fault !” she tried to find out why Rishi became so hot . “ Oh , forgot to put sugar in his tea.” She got it . It had became her day to day problem ,Rishi would scold her and she would wonder where she have done wrong. She would console her that some day her husband will be good to her in all manners . She was only nineteen when she got married to Rishi . She still remembers the day when Rishi and his parents came to their village to fix their marriage . Five years ago Rishi was the same good looking man , sitting quietly with his parents waiting for the parents of both the side to delay the date of his marriage . But Puja’s father didn’t agreed. He wanted the marriage as soon as possible. Rishi’s father hated the so called modern and ill mannered girls so he wanted a simple and innocent girl like Puja to be his daughter –in –law . Rishi had different ideology . He wanted his bride to modern , confident , well spoken and educated. He felt somewhere Puja lacked those qualities . At last he gave in to his father’s ultimate decision . He got married to Puja but could not accept her as his life partner . After marriage they left for Delhi where Rishi worked . Day by day Rishi’s behaviour became very unkind towards his wife . And with time Puja learnt how to put up with his bad behaviour .Some day when Rishi returned from his office he found his house locked . He looked for Puja here and there , asked Mrs. Sharma if Puja left some message with her . Mrs Sharma denied , she said even she didn’t show her today . He tried for mobile , it was not reachable . Rishi was dying with anger . The wrist watch in Rishi’s hand showed it was 9:30 . Rishi’s annoyance attained it’s peak .He was about to break the lock of the door when he show Puja coming hastily towards him . Both stood silently facing each other for a moment . it took Rishi some seconds to decide how to behave with Puja . She too was shivering with fear for the things that Rishi is going to do for her mistake .“You dirty woman , met with your lover ! how was the date madam?”Puja became speechless .“I will call your parents and tell them about all this ---- your new affair . Then you will come into sense. Oh god my life had became hell the day I got married to you .”Rishi was almost barking , Spitting the meanest of language he could use to insult her . In no time neighbours gathered there to make him cool . The whole drama went on for an hour . Puja standing outside waiting for her turn to make her front clear .But no one there was in a state to listen to her clarification , neither Rishi nor the people gathered there still trying to cool down Rishi. At last Rishi went inside . The crowd too faded away giving a cool sympathetic look to Puja . A storm just passed over her head . There was death like silence every where . Wiping of the day’s share of tears with her pallu Puja went inside . Rishi didn’t said a word to her . But the hatred in Rishi’s eyes was unbearable for her . She cried the whole night . She waited the whole night thinking that some moment Rishi would ask her the reason for her unplanned delay in returning home . But Rishi didn’t even uttered a word. She felt something heavy on her eyes . The shutter of eyes get closed automatically . And when she opened it was 9 on the wall clock of her bedroom . Rishi was out for office. Whole day she recapitulate the yesterdays nightmare . She thought of mending the bad mood of Rishi .She made Rishi’s favourite dish for dinner . Wore a blue colour saree . Put herself some makeup , changed the sofa and bad cover of the whole house , and arranged a table for a candlelight dinner. She left no stone unturned to please Rishi. The doorbell rang , Puja’s heart jerked with the thought that Rishi may get angry seeing these formalities . She opened the door , her hands were shaking with fear . Rishi’s face appeared before her . But this time it was cool . He had never shown Rishi with this type of mood . “ My dear wife , dinner is ready?” his eyes searched for the whole house. “ Some special guest dear!” caught the well arranged dinner table. “Oh –O—and who have taught you all this?”He was saying every piece of word very dramatically . Puja smelled something wrong . “ let us have our last dinner together and then----“And then?” she didn’t let him complete.“And then you are going to your parents.”Rishi was now a bit serious“But why? I will explain to you why I was late yesterday !” Puja “O --- now do you think I am that much silly to listen to your stories? Now don’t waste my time, pack your bags and get out of here . And this one your ticket.” Rishi threw the train ticket to Puja’s face . Her face now resembled almost to a rotten apple , tears fall down from her cheeks . She was standing still looking to Rishi with much disbelief hear to the final sentence just made by her husband. Rishi sat down on the sofa waiting Puja to get ready for her journey. Puja stood dejected ,hard for her to belief that Rishi at last got a chance to throw her out of his life. She wiped her tears off and made herself mentally prepared to leave Rishi . Within ten minutes she packed her bags and left her dear house and husband whom she loved the most .Rishi didn’t said a word when she left . She too parted meekly .When Puja reached her parents she didn’t told any bad words about Rishi, she only told that as Rishi is busy with his work she wanted to spent some time with her parents . Her lie could not be detected by her parents . She started a new life there . She started teaching music to small children. She felt relaxed the and enjoyed the new life . At some corner of her heart she had the belief that some day Rishi would repent to what she have done to her and will return back to her . Rishi alone in his house sensed relief dumping his stupid and silly wife . The days after Puja left him he was at the top of the world . But soon he realised that Puja had became her habit . He started missing everything . The small little things she used to do to please him to the innocent pleasant face of hers . A month passed . It was thirty-first of December , the whole town was busy enjoying parties and sharing cocktails . Rishi too threw a party at his home to compensate his lonesomeness . He invited his boss too . Everyone enjoyed the party . It was well organised and well planned . Every one missed Puja . But the boss who was new in his job there wanted met Rishi’s wife as she had became the talk of the party for her good behaviour and nature . Actually Puja had gained a lot of popularity among Rishi’s colleagues for her politeness . Mr. Yadav Rishis’s boss accidentally came across a joint photograph of the duo . He was shocked for a moment . “ Is this your wife can’t belief!” Mr. Yadav’s eyes were emitting happiness and shock .“Why sir , have you met her, actually she is not that much educated and don’t know about the manner of a high society .” Rishi said hastily expecting some offending statement about his wife.“What are telling Rishi , I am sorry to say this by but you still don’t know your wife .” Mr. Yadav continued“ It was the very first day in your office . I was on my way to office . My car got some problem , while my driver went in search of mechanic I was going through that day’ s news paper . Perhaps a real bad day for me . Suddenly my heart started aching . It had became very difficult for even to breath . I was trying to call the passerby but as I was inside the car nobody paid any heed . I was perhaps going to die suddenly some lady opened the door of my car , she was wiping off my sweat with her saree. I got fainted. And when I got sense it was evening . The lady had brought me to a nearby hospital . Sitting next me she was praying to god for me . She was giving me hope that everything will be alright . That day she was like a god to me . She left the hospital with haste and I even forgot to ask her name or number . But god is great , to day I am here at her home to thank her .Rishi you are very lucky that you have got such a wife .” Mr Yadav concluded.Rishi stood dumbfounded . “Puja never told me anything about the whole incident” he thought .The next moment he realised his fault . “ This is the incident she wanted to tell that night and I have never let her speak !” All of a sudden he developed a soft corner for his wife . He repented for all the bad thing he had done to Puja . “Wii he forgive me?” Rishi asked himself . By the he realised that for family one doesn’t need only a smart or modern wife , but a life partner with a good heart , a good wife indeed .Next day he caught the first train and reached Puja’s village . After all the formalities of his in laws . he got a chance to talk to Puja alone .“Puja I am really sorry about my behaviour , will you forgive me?” Puja could see the tear drops in his eyes. She embraced Rishi with a burst of tear . She was dying with happiness .“ But what will you say to your parents ! will they let you go with me after all these incidents?”“Dear , I haven’t told any thing to my parents , do you think I shall ever let your prestige go down in the eyes of my parents !” she whispered in his ears .Rishi’ s heart was overflowing with sense of love and pride for his wife .He pulled her towards himself and whispered “ my good wife”